Azalea plant named ‘Sweet Sixteen’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct Azalea cultivar is provided that abundantly forms clusters of sturdy double pearl pink hose-in-hose blossoms that commonly retain their attractive appearance even in inclement weather. The dark green and plentiful foliage substantially retains its coloration throughout the winter. The growth habit is dense, well-branched, and naturally mounding. The cultivar exhibits excellent hardiness and is tolerant to wet soils and clay soils.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The new Azalea cultivar of the present invention was discovered in agarden at Barrington, R.I., as a natural hybrid cross. It is believed tobe a hybrid of Rhododendron yedoense poukhanense resulting from openpollination in a mixed planting of Rhododendron yedoense poukhanensecultivars. The exact parentage of the new cultivar is unknown. Theselection of the present invention was found growing among primarily‘Rosebud’ (non-patented in the United States), ‘Hino Crimson’(non-patented in the United States) and Mother's Day (non-patented inthe United States) Azalea seedlings. It was an objective to discover anattractive cold hardy poukhanense Azalea that is at least equal inhardiness to the Girard Azalea hybrids.

It was found that the new cultivar of the present invention possessesthe following combination of characteristics:

(a) Forms sturdy and attractive clusters of double pearl pinkhose-in-hose blossoms,

(b) Forms dark green foliage on a plentiful basis that generally retainsits coloration in the winter,

(c) Forms a dense well-branched naturally mounding growth habit,

(d) Exhibits excellent bud hardiness, and

(e) Exhibits tolerance to wet soils and clay soils.

Had the new cultivar of the present invention not been discovered andpreserved by me it would have been lost to mankind.

The new cultivar can be grown in at least U.S.D.A. Hardiness Zone Nos. 5to 8. For instance, good hardiness has been confirmed to date atAugusta, Me.; Lebanon, Conn.; and West Grove, Pa. The dark green foliagedensely covers the branches. The attractive pearl pink blossoms contrastnicely with the dark green foliage. The retention of the dark greenfoliage coloration during the winter provides an attractive overallplant appearance throughout the year. The new cultivar does well infull-sun and half-sun growing conditions. The substantial tolerance toless than ideal soils, such as damp or clay soils, also broadens theusefulness of the new cultivar.

At five years of age the new cultivar commonly acheives a height ofapproximately 2½ feet and width of approximately 3 feet. At fullmaturity these dimensions each are increased by approximately one foot.

The new cultivar well meets the needs of the horticultural industry. Itis particularly well suited for growing as distinctive and attractiveornamentation in the landscape. For instance, it can be grown toadvantage as a foundation, mass, or specimen planting.

The new cultivar has been found to undergo asexual propagation by therooting of cuttings at Barrington, R.I., and at West Grove, Pa. Thisasexual propagation has demonstrated that the unique combination ofcharacteristics of the new cultivar is well established and is strictlytransmissible from one generation to another.

The new cultivar of the present invention has been named ‘SweetSixteen’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs show as true as it is reasonably possiblein color illustrations of this nature, plant parts of the new cultivarof the present invention. The plants were approximately five years ofage and were photographed during May while growing outdoors at WestGrove, Pa.

FIG. 1—illustrates a specimen of a typical branch with mature dark greenas well as juvenile foliage;

FIG. 2—illustrates a specimen of the upper surface of a typical leaf;

FIG. 3—illustrates from above a specimen of a typical open blossom;

FIG. 4—illustrates a specimen of a typical branch with mature leaves andflower buds;

FIG. 5—illustrates from below a specimen of a typical open blossom;

FIG. 6—illustrates from above an additional specimen of an open blossomwherein the typical variation in pink blossom coloration is illustrated;

FIG. 7—illustrates from above a further specimen of an open blossom; and

FIG. 8—illustrates a specimen of a typical flowering branch bearingclusters of the attractive pink blossoms.

FIGS. 4 (portion) and 5, 6, and 7 are enlarged and are presented in anadditional photograph. Also, FIG. 8 is enlarged and is presented in afurther photograph.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The chart used in the identification of colors is that of The RoyalHorticultural Society, London (R.H.S. Colour Chart). Other references tocolor are to be accorded their ordinary dictionary significance. Thedescription is based upon the observation of seven year-old plantsgrowing in containers at West Grove, Pa. The plants were present in agreenhouse covered with 25 percent shade cloth during the summer andwhite polyethylene sheeting during the winter.

Botanical classification: Rhododendron poukhanense, cv. ‘Sweet Sixteen’.

Parentage: Seedling of unknown parentage. The new cultivar wasdiscovered while growing in a garden containing mixed poukhanenseseedlings.

Plant characteristics:

Form.—Naturally mounded, globular, dense, and well-branched.

Size.—The spread is approximately 90 cm and the height is approximately70 cm.

Branches.—The length is approximately 15 cm, the diameter isapproximately 2 to 3 mm, the color is near Greyed-Green Group 197A, andtexture is slightly peeling.

Foliage characteristics:

Arrangement.—Alternate along the stem, and whirled at the base of theflower.

Length.—Approximately 3.4 to 4.8 cm when mature along the currentseason's growth. The leaves associated with the flower buds areconsiderably smaller.

Width.—Approximately 1.4 to 2.3 cm when mature along the currentseason's growth.

Shape.—Elliptic.

Apex.—Obtuse/mucronate.

Base.—Cuneate.

Margin.—Entire.

Texture.—Smooth with slight pubescence on both surfaces.

Young foliage.—Green Group 143C on the upper surface, and Yellow-GreenGroup 144C on the under surface.

Mature foliage.—Dark green, Yellow-Green Group 147A on the uppersurface, and Yellow-Green Group 147C on the under surface. The venationis Yellow-Green Group 147C on the upper surface and Yellow-Green Group147B on the under surface.

Petiole.—Approximately 5 mm in length, approximately 1 to 1.2 mm indiameter, and Yellow-Green Group 144C in coloration.

Flower characteristics:

Flowering season.—Spring (May at West Grove, Pa.).

Arrangement.—Freely flowering, face outwards, hose-in-hose arranged atterminals with commonly approximately four to five flowers per terminalin a cluster.

General appearance.—Star-shaped, baby pearl pink colored petals withsome variation in color, and persistent.

Flower diameter.—Approximately 4 cm when fully open.

Buds.—Approximately 3 cm in length, approximately 1 cm in diameter, nearRed-Purple Group 64D to Red-Purple Group 65C in coloration, andoblanceolate in configuration.

Petals.—Iridescent and satiny in appearance; relatively smooth; thecorolla consists of five petals that are fused at the base to form asympetalous corolla; spathulate and rounded; entire with a somewhatruffled margin; approximately 1.5 cm in length; approximately 1 cm inwidth; on the upper surface the coloration varies from Red-Purple Group68A to Red-Purple Group 62C to Red-Purple Group 62D to Red-Purple Group74C with near white, near White Group 155B, at the base; and on theunder surface the coloration varies from Red-Purple Group 62D toRed-Purple Group 68A with near white, near White Group 155B, at thebase.

Sepals.—In a fully open flower the five sepals are petaloid and fused atthe base giving rise to the hose-in-hose designation. The coloration ofthe sepals closely corresponds to that of the petals.

Peduncles.—Generally upright and flexible, approximately 1 cm in length,and Yellow-Green Group 144D in coloration with pubescence of nearYellow-Green Group 145D.

Stamens.—Six, and approximately 2.5 cm in length.

Anthers.—Oblong, approximately 2 mm in size, and Greyed-Orange Group166A in coloration.

Pistils.—One, and approximately 1.5 cm in length.

Stigma.—Rounded, and Yellow-Green Group 150D in coloration.

Style.—Red-Purple Group 62D to Red-Purple Group 66C in coloration.

Ovary.—Varies from Green Group 141D to White Group 155C in colorationwith heavy pubescence.

Fruit.—No fruit or seeds have been observed during observations to date.

Hardiness: Is hardy to at least U.S.D.A. Hardiness Zone No. 5 duringobservations to date.

Disease resistance: Exhibits average disease resistance for an evergreenAzalea.

Culture: Tolerates wet soils and clay soils. Also, the blossoms tend tobe sturdy and to retain their attractive appearance even if inclementweather is encountered.

The new variety of the present invention has not been observed under allpossible environmental conditions. Accordingly, there is the possibilitythat the phenotypic expression may vary with changes in the environmentsuch as temperature, day length, light intensity, nutrition, and degreeof watering without any variance in the genotype.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct variety of Azalea plant characterized bythe following combination of characteristics: (a) Forms sturdy andattractive clusters of double pearl pink hose-in-hose blossoms, (b)Forms dark green foliage on a plentiful basis that generally retains itscoloration in the winter, (c) Forms a dense well-branched naturallymounding growth habit, (d) Exhibits excellent bud hardiness, and (e)Exhibits tolerance to wet soils and clay soils; substantially as hereinshown and described.